by Mary Alexander

Abstract

Learning Science in Informal Environments chronicles the state of science learning in museums today. What is known about learning history in history museums? How does the practice of history in history museums stack up with this national report? The author presents one perspective on how the six strands of science learning might be adapted and applied to visitors’ understanding of history in history museums, in hopes of beginning an important conversation on this topic among history museum professionals.

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by KEN YELLIS

Our relationships with our audiences have proved parlous. But if history is destined to be contested, where should museums be in that contest and how do we get there?

Fred Wilson’s Mining the Museum has turned out to be a path not taken; Enola Gay was a cautionary tale. But we should have these fights in museums, where the national narrative is blocked out and staged, because of how museums teach us, opening hidden windows on cloaked realities.

Museums can start by becoming clearer about what they think they are doing when they make an exhibition. Exhibitions can have a profound effect on visitors at many levels but it doesn’t happen very often. Is that because visitors seek another kind of experience from what we typically offer?